Screen for baby pens



Aug. 14, 1945.

M. BERMAN SCREEN FOR BABY- PENS 2 Sheet-Sheet 1 Filed May 5, 1944 INVENTOR. Minn/Te Ber-m an I BY I Aug.- 14, 1945. M. BERMAN scnmm FOR BABY PENS Filed May 5, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORQ n a m r .6 B m N m M Patented Aug. 14, 1945 UNITED STATES ilAT-ENT OFFICE SCREEN FOR BABY PENSI Minnie Berman, Roxbury, Mass. Application May 5, 1944, Serial No. 534,251

2 Claims. (01.160-88) for this purpose which, when in use, surrounds and forms a perfect screen for the baby pen to protect the child occupying the pen from insects, and which can be readily taken apart and folded' together into a compact Ibtllldle when it is not in use.

In the drawings wherein I have illustrated a selected embodiment of my invention,

Fig. 1 is a, sectional perspective view illustrating a screen embodying my invention in use for screening a baby pen.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one of thetwo pairs of screen panels of which my improved screen is composed, said figure showing the panels of the pair in open position.

Fig. 3 is a perspective View showing the panels of the pair partially folded.

Fig. 4v is a perspective view showing the other pair of screen panels in their open position.

Fig. 5 is a view showing the panels of the pair illustrated in Fig. 4 as being partially folded.

Fig. 6 is a top plan View of the screen with I the top shield omitted.

Fig '7 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the manner in which the two pairs of screen panels are detachably connected together.

My improved screen comprises four screen panels, each presenting a surrounding frame on which is mounted the screen material, said four screen panels being adapted to be connected together at their edges to form a hollow screen adapted to encircle the baby pen with which it is used. The screen also includes a cap or top member adapted to cover the top of the screen, which cap member may be in the form of a sunshield if desired.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention the four screen panels comprise two pairs of panels with the panels of each pair hingedly connected together so that they can be folded together or swung into an open position at right angles to each other, and means are provided by which the outer edges of each pair of panels when in their open position may be connected to the outer edges of the panels of the other pair,

thereby to form the hollow screen adapted to encircle the baby pen.

In referring to Fig. 1, I indicates a baby pen of any usual construction, it having the floor 2 and the railing 3 surrounding the floor.

My improved screen for the baby pen comprises the two pairs of screen panels which are indicated at 4 and 5 respectively. The pair of screen panels 4 is formed with the two panel members 6 and I which are hingedlyconne-cted along their vertical'edges as shown at 8 to permit the panels to fold together as'sho'wn in Fig. 3 or to be swung into an open position at right angles as shown in Fig. 2. Each screen panel is made with a surrounding frame 9 on which is mounted the screen material I0, each, panel, therefore,

having a rigid structure. 1

The pairof panels. 5is also composed of two panel members I I,I2 which are hingedly connected so that they can be folded together as shown in'Fig. 5 or can be swung into open posi-' tion at right angles to'xeach other as shown in Fig. 4. The hinges 8 by which-the panels of each pair are hingedly connected are so disposed that when the panels of each pairare swung into their open position, the edge I3 of one panel abuts against the side face of the other panel. 'In this way the opening movementof the panel elements of each pair is-limited and the panels cannot be opened beyond the right angular position.

, Means areprovided whereby, when the panels of bothpairs are swung into open position shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the ,outer edges of each pair may be detachably connected to theouter edges of the other pair, thereby to form a hollow screen. While any suitable means for thus detachably connecting these outer edges together maybe used. Ihave herein, illustrated hooks and eyes for this purpose. 'Theouter edge I4 of the panel member I2 is shown ashaving two hooks I5 attached thereto, and the outer edge [6 of the panel element I is illustrated as having screw eyes I! projecting therefrom. Similarly the edge I8 of the panel member 6 is provided with hooks I5, while the edge I9 of the panel member II is provided with screw eyes I! to receive the hooks.

In assembling the two pairs of opened panel sections 4 and 5 the edge IA of the panel section I2 will be placed against the face 20 of the panel section I, and the hooks I5 will then be hooked into thecorresponding screw eyes II. Similarly the edge I8 of the panel section 6 will be placed against the inner face of the panel section [9 and the hooks I5 on the panel section B may then be hooked into the corresponding eyes I'I. When the two pairs of opened panel sections are thus connected together, a hollow screen is provided as shown in Fig. 6 which is adapted to fit around and enclose the baby pen I as shown clearly in Fig. 1.

The top of the screen which encircles the pen may be closed by a top member made of screening material, or may be closed by a top member that will shield the child from the sun. There is shown herein a top member 2| for closing the top of the screen which is in the form of a rectangular piece of fabric. This top member will have the proper dimensions to cover the entire top of the screen when it is erected, and I have herein shown said rectangular top shield element as having two of its adjacent 'edges permanently attached to the top edges of the screen panels 6 and I forming the pair indicated at 4. This permanent attachment may be made by tacking the adjacent edges of the top member 20 to the top edge of the frames 9 of the panels as indicated at 22.

Means are provided whereby the free edge portion of the top shield 2| may be detachably conncted to the other pair of panel elements so as to close the top. For this purpose I have shown the shield member 2| as provided with tie tapes or cords 23 which are secured thereto at the corner where the free edges meet and which are adapted to tie into a screw eye 24 carried by the pair of screen panels I I, I2 at the upper edge portion thereof adjacent their hingedly connected edges.

When the tie tapes 23 are unfastened from the screw eye 24, the corner of the top shield member 2| may be turned back to give access to the pen for placing a child therein or removing a child therefrom. After the child has been placed in the pen, then the tie tapes 23 will be fastened to the screw eye 24, thereby securing the free edges of the shield member in place and insuring that the top of the screen element will be closed.

The vertical dimension of the panels formin the screen is considerably greater than the vertical dimension of the rail 3 of the pen. In fact this vertical dimension of the panels will be such that the top shield 2| will be somewhat above the head of any child occupying the pen when he is standing erect. In fact the vertical dimensions of the panel should be such as to allow the child to jump up or down in the pen without striking his head against the top shield 2|. The screen not only protects the child occupying the pen from mosquitoes and other insects, but it also prevents the child from reaching through the rail 3 and picking up dirt or or other things from the ground surrounding the pen. The top shield 2| shields the child from the sun as well as closing the top of the screen.

When the screen is not in use, the two pairs of panel sections can be detached from each other and then folded together as shown in Figs. 3 and 5 thus permitting the screen to be packed away in a very small space. The flexible character of the top shield 2| allows the two panel sections 6 and T to be folded together as shown in Fi 3.

I claim:

1. A screen for a baby pen comprising two pairs of panels, means hingedly connecting together the panels of each pair to permit them to fold together or to be swung relative to each other into an open position at right angles to each other, said means providing a stop to limit relative swinging movement beyond the right angular position, means detachably connecting the outer edges of each pair when in open position to those of the other pair, thereby forming a rectangular screen adapted to encircle a baby pen, a rectangular top shield element of flexible material, means permanently attaching two ad jacent edges of said rectangular shield element to the top edges of the panels of one pair, and means for detachably securing the free corner of said shield element to the other pair of panels.

2. A screen for a baby pen comprising two pairs of screen panels, means hingedly connecting together the panels of each pair to permit them to be folded together or to be swung relative to each other into an open position at right angles to each other, with the edge of one panel resting against the side face of the other panel thereby providing a stop to prevent any further relative swinging movement beyond the right angular position, means detachably connecting the outer edges of each pair of panels when in open position to the outer edges of the other pair of panels, thereby forming a rectangular screen adapted to encircle a baby pen, a rectangular top shield element of flexible material, means permanently attaching two adjacent edges of said rectangular shield element to the top edges of the panels of one pair, a pair of tie cords secured to said shield element at the corner where the other two free edges of said shield meet, and an anchoring member secured to the other pair of connected screen panels adjacent the hingedly connected edges thereof and to which the tie cords can be detachably fastened.

MINNIE BERMAN. 

